bareMinerals' Leslie Blodgett: Stamp out beauty shaming!

Leslie Blodgett wants the beauty industry to keep it real.

The make-up maverick took over bareMinerals in 1994, 18 years after it was founded. When she came on board the small company was called Bare Escentuals and had created the first ever mineral-based make-up. Under Leslie's direction, bareMinerals was launched, becoming one of the biggest names in beauty.

In a world of superficiality, the San Francisco-based brand stands out for its grounded views on beauty. Now Leslie is getting behind the Be Real campaign, an initiative that hopes to boost the world's body confidence.

"The beauty industry is in the billions of dollars and it's growing every year. People love beauty products and they buy them," Leslie told Cover Media.

"But since the beginning of time... I was doing some research, and one of the biggest hair care companies in the industry right now, in the 40s their ads said: 'Pity. Unpopular. Wallflower. Well then you need our hair dye', so this is how the industry works. They make you feel bad, they shame you. And it still kind of does that.

"Now you can read ads and it measures the wrinkle size! It kills me!"

With shocking stats that show 60 per cent of adults are walking around feeling ashamed of how they look, it's vital industry heavyweights speak out in support of raising confidence.

Leslie agrees the press can also add to the beauty shaming, and the rise of selfie-obsessed celebrities gives both young and older women a warped sense of what makes someone beautiful.

"I have a rule: I don't listen to anything any Kardashian does. On Twitter, forget it," Leslie smiled.

Instead of mindlessly following people on social media, Leslie carefully selects what and who to track. This seeps into all areas of her life too.

"So I basically decided what I'm letting in, including food. I determine my life. I determine what I'm going to have inside of me.

"I never follow Kardashians. I follow artists and journalists and writers. I do like what's going on with social media and I love Instagram," she revealed.